Well-bucket.



F. D. WALPOLE.

WEL L BUCKET.

APPLlCATION FILED MAY 10. 1916.

1,21 8,497. Patented Mar. 6, 1917.

yz lj I y (9 3 5 551 u L I A '2 1 Q} M1 WW FRANKLIN D. WALIPOLE, OF MCKENZIE, TENNESSEE.

WELL-BUCKET.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 6, 191 '7.

Application filed. May 10, 1916, Serial No. 96,559.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FHANKLIN D. l/VAL- runs, a citizen of the United States, and resident of McKenzie, county of Carroll, and State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in and Relating to Well-Buckets, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain improvements in the construction and arrangement of valves forming the bottom of the bucket; and the objects and nature of the invention will be readily understood by those skilled in the art in the light of the following explanation of the accompanying drawings illustrating what I now believe to be the preferred embodiment or mechanical expression of my invention from among other forms, constructions and arrangements within the spirit and scope thereof.

An object of the invention is to provide a novel construction of well bucket bottom and valve mechanism therefor.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device adapted to be attached to a well bucket without materially changing the form or structure of the bucket.

A further object of the invention is to provide a well bucket bottom structure of few parts and of simple and inexpensive structure.

A further object of the invention is to provide a well bucket having abottom formed by an emptying and filling valve and the seat therefor.

A further object of the invention is to provide a well bucket bottom structure whereby the bucket may be filled and emptied automatically which consists of an an nular valve seat fitting within the end of the bucket and a flat circular valve adapted to cooperate therewith and seat thereon. I The invention consists in certain novel features in construction and in combinations and arrangement of parts as more fully and specifically set forth hereinafter.

Referring to the accompanying drawings: i

Figure 1, is a vertical section through a' bucket embodying my invention.

Fig. 2, is a vertical section through a bucket embodying my invention when the bucket is fille Fig. 3, is a vertical section through the members which form my Well bucket bottom. 7

well buckets and particularly to.

V In the drawings, in this instance, I show a well bucket 1, of the type used in bored or drilled wells, but of course, it is understood that I do not wish to limit my invention to use on a well bucket of this character or form. At the lower end of the bucket an annular ring 2, of a diameter to fit within the end of the bucket, is fastened by soldering, riveting, or by any other suitable means. This ring is provided with a horizontally disposed flange 3, forms a flat supporting member. Depending downwardly from the lower edge of the ring 2, are suitable legs or feet t. Fastcned in any suitable manner at opposite points to the under side ofthe flange 3, is the member 5, which forms a guide and bearing for the vertically disposed valve stem 6. This member 5, is centrally and downwardly bent for the purposes-which will appear hereinafter, and is provided at its lowest point with an opening adapted to receive the valve stem 6, and permit the same to slide therein. The valve stem 6, has ahead 7, at its lower end and at its upper end is fastened to and supports a fiat, circular horizontally disposed valve 8. The valve'8, 'has a diameter which is smaller than the inside diameter of the bucket 1, and which is large enough to permit its seating firmly and tightly upon the seat forming flange when drawn or-forceddown thereon by the weight of the water when the bucket is filled.

The valve '8, may be formed of any suitable material which will insure a watertight fit when in seated position and may be fastened to the end of the valve stem'by screwing therein, fastening washers, or some other'proper backing or strengthening means-against the'sides of the central portion ofthe valve and then fastening them to the stem. A. number of well known ways of fastening the stem to the valve may be used. 7 v 1 Interposed between the member 5, and the valve 8, is a coil spring 9, around the stem 6. l y

The operation of my device applied to a well bucket is as follows:

The bucket is lowered by suitable means, such as arope or cable 10, which is fastened to the handle 11, to the source of supply. When empty the parts comprising the bottom of the well bucket are in position disclosed in Fig. 1, of the drawings. The coil spring 9, is arranged to normally maintam at its upper edge which 1 the valve 8, unseated and in a position to permit the liquid to enter freely between the becomes immersed in the liquid and passes bucket.

downwardly therethrough, the pressure against the bottom of the valve will force it further up into the bucket, and the stem 6, will slide through the member 5, until stopped by the head 7 bearing against the member 5. V

The length of the stem 6, is such that when the valve 8, is held unseated by the pressure of the coil spring alone it will de pend below the ends of the legs or feet 4-, so that, upon the bucket reaching the bot tom of a well or any other container the valve 8, will be forced up into the bucket 1. As the bucket passes through the liquid the :valve 8, is unseated, as described hereinbefore, and upon reaching the bottom of the container is further maintained in unseated 01' opened position against the pressure of the volume which has entered during its downward passage, due to the length of the stem 6.

When the bucket is filled and is being raised, the weight of the contained liquid forces the valve 8, against the pressure of the spring 9, onto the seat formed by the flange 3 bottom.

The bucket is emptied of its contents by lowering it until supported on the legs or feet 4, whereupon the stem 6, and its valve 8, are forced upward unseating the valve and permitting the liquid to flow from the This flow will continue until the liquid in the bucket reaches the level of the liquid in the container into which it is being emptied.

The coil spring 9, is formed ordinarily of sufficient strength to unseat the valve 8, against the pressure of the liquid in the bucket when it is about one third full. Afterthe flow from the bucket has stopped when the'level of liquid inside and out are the same the remainder is emptied by raising the bucket from the container into which it is emptying and permitting the coil spring 9, to force and maintain the valve open. lhis is not necessary under circumstances where the inside and outside levels will not attain the same height as the valve may then be held unseated by the valve stem 6, being maintained in open position by bearing against whatever surface is support. ing the bucket.

My device is such that it may be readily applied-to a well bucket without in any way making any material changes therein or may be formed with the bucket. It is of an Copies of .this patent may be obtained for with which it forms a watertight. oint and makes a complete non-leak1ng extremely simple and inexpensive structure of few parts and one in which the liability of their breaking or becoming inoperative for any other reason is reduced to a mini mum.

hen applied to a well bucket my invention permits conversion of the well bucket for use as a lift pump upon addition of the proper elements.

A well bucket when constructed according to the disclosures made herein, overcomes the disadvantages of the buckets now in use, by doing away with the common hinge valve and by reducing and simplifying the number and structure of the elements heretofore used in buckets of this general character. The valve seat, valve and stem, are all at the extreme lower end of the bucket and the valve seat performs a double function, to wit, a seat for the valve and a support for the bucket and indirectly, for the valve stem.

The valve is of a relatively large area thereby receiving the full pressure of the volume of water contained in the bucket and overcoming the possibility of leakage between the valve and its seat without complicating the structure of the valve or seat at the contacting or seating points. 7

it isevident that various changes, variations and modifications might be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, and hence I do not wish to limit myself to the exact disclosures hereof.

. hat I claim is 1. A bucket having an open lower end, an annular flange on the inner wall of the bucket at the lower end thereof, a support spanning said open end and having its central portion downwardly offset, a stem slidably mounted in the offset portion of said support, a flat circular valve adapted to seat upon said flange and close the open end of said bucket, said valve carried by said stem, and a spring interposed between said support and said valve to normally maintain the valve in unseated position and the lower end of said bucket open.

2. A bucket having a bottom formed by the combination of an annular valve seat, with a flat valve adapted to seat thereon and close the open bottom of the bucket, a stem carrying said valve, a guide for said stem below saidvalve seat spanning the open bottom of the bucket and having its central portion downwardly offset in which said stem is slidably mounted, and a spring in-.

terposed between the offset portion of said guide and said valve whereby said valve is normally maintained in open, unseated position.

FRANKLIN D. VVALPOLE.

five cents each, by addressing'the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, .D. C. 

